


I Will Buy You The Flower Shop (And You Will Never Be Lonely)

by Measured



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-20 04:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9476045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: "Ted, if you become anymore of a dad they're going to make commemorative crocs of you." On happy endings, children, and growing old together.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unforgotten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforgotten/gifts).



> For Unforgotten in Chocolate_box. Title is from The Gambler by Fun.
> 
> I don't own How I Met Your mother, unfortunately. If I did, this would be canon and that ending would not.

_Slow down_  
we've got time left to be lazy  
all the kids have bloomed from babies  
and the flowers in our eyes  
we've got fifty good years left to spend out in the garden  
I don't care to beg your pardon  
we should live until we die  
The Gambler, Fun 

His daughter was the size of a bean, hidden away in shades of the gray. He wanted to frame the picture and put it on every billboard. He wanted the breaking news on CNN to be _world's cutest baby found in New York_.

Ted settled for sending his friends dozens of pictures.

*

Over coffee at midnight, to make up for the time differences, Ted opened up the laptop. The screen was split between them. Barney and Robin in Beijing, with fashionable--albeit somewhat rumpled, like some public quickie had just happened ten minutes ago--clothes, while Marshall and Lily 45 minutes away were in fuzzy bath robes.

"Aww, it's really sweet, but we actually have to sleep sometimes," Lily said. 

"I guess that's payback for college," Marshall said. He shrugged, sheepish, for all the times they'd kept Ted up through many firsts--and seconds, and thirds.

"Ted, she isn't even born yet and you've already sent us twenty-five pictures. What are you going to do, livetweet the birth?" Robin said.

Barney shook his head. "Ted, if you become anymore of a dad they're going to make commemorative crocs of you."

"Well, I hope they come in red, to match my awesome _cowboy boots._ "

Barney grimaced. "'Awesome' and 'red cowboy boots' do not belong together in any sentence."

"Except 'it sure is awesome how you got rid of those red cowboy boots,'" Robin added.

"For the record, Tracy thinks they're--wait for it-- _awesome_. Not to brag, but they've gotten me plenty--" Ted looked back towards his wife. He was really going to have to think of substitutions for all the fun words he used, before his daughter. "--plenty of _Great_ times."

"Wow, she really is a damn miracle," Robin said. 

Lily nodded. "I can hardly believe she exists. A woman who didn't make Ted throw out his cowboy boots."

"I know, I can hardly believe it myself. We're going to make being an old married couple cool again," Ted said.

Barney rolled his eyes. "Ted, being _married_ was never cool," Barney said.

"Barney, you liked being married so much you got divorced just so you could get married again in Vegas while riding bears. You know you don't have to actually divorce Robin to remarry her, right?"

"Ted, there's only one thing hotter than wedding night sex, and that's breakup and makeup sex. Robin and I had all three in one day. _Ah--Skype five._ "

Lily shook her head. "You'll have to high-five yourself."

But Robin high-fived him. Barney smiled. "I'd divorce you any day. Wanna try a beach wedding next time?"

"Sure, but you're wearing the dress this time--" She held her hands up in a cheer as the whole group broke into laughter at Barney's expense.

"Now there's one I'll high-five to!"

"It's so sweet how you think you're going to take our crown as the old married couple. Well, _payback is hell, bitch_ " Lily said. She smiled so sweetly, even as she sounded like something from the Exorcist.

"Bring it on," Ted said. 

"You're going down, Ted," Marshall said.

"If I'm going down, it's because I'm falling even deeper in love with her every single day," Ted said.

"Call me when you're sending her texts in the bathroom to cheer her on," Lily said between gritted teeth.

Ted tried to beat that, but he knew--he just _knew_ she'd have about thirty more about how they said I love you every hour. "Damn! We're going to dethrone you one of these days."

Lily sat back, looking remarkably similar to a star wars villain in her pink frilly robe and aura of smugness. "Just give it a try, bitch. We'll _beat you down_ with kisses every single time."

"Wow, that didn't sound like they were trying to invite Ted and Tracy for a foursome at all," Barney said dryly.  
"Beer, anyone?" He lifted up in toast. 

"To new opportunities, and old jokes," Ted said.

"I can toast to that," Robin said. 

*

When Ted thought of name, the first one that came to mind was _I can't believe I'm finally happy, and this is proof. I found her, the girl of my dreams._

His second choice was Leia.

She was already in bed when he came in, a book of baby names open to the _P_ section. Ted crawled in without bothering to take his jeans and sweatshirt off.

He put his arms around her expanding waist, and rested his head against her stomach. Sometimes, he felt little kicks. He should sign her up for soccer. The crowds for after-school activities were intense. He couldn't be the only future dad mapping out his options.

"So, did you find any good names for our daughter?" Ted said.

She closed the book and set it aside. 

"Actually, I've got one. But it's not from the book. Once, I found this really, really old penny. I couldn't wait to show Cindy, but it fell out of my purse. I wish I'd thought to snap a picture."

Ted's eyes widened. He rose up from the bed, with a hint of an excited tremor as he pulled out his great find. Nobody else had been as excited about it, his friends had made an ongoing joke about him desperately in love with every penny for weeks.

"Sometimes you just find things," Ted said. His voice cracked, just a little.

"And sometimes, things come back to you," she said. She held out her hand.

"Where did you find this? Do you think it could really be the same one?"

"I think it is," he said. Because after he found her, after so many close calls, Ted believed in fate. He believed in love, in destiny. If his friends were here, they'd add on _I believe you're a giant douche._

"Penny would be a beautiful name," Ted said.

"You can name the next one Luke if it's a boy," Tracy said. 

Visions of a Star Wars themed room filled his mind. His kids weren't even here yet, and he still had so much to share with them. 

*

Her sundresses got bigger, and so did the bouquets of flowers. Ted leaned down to kiss her cheek. 

Her eyes lit up, as she caught sight of the giant bouquet. "God, this is gorgeous."

"Not as gorgeous as you are."

"Huge, too," Tracy said. "Not as huge as me." She shook her head and laughed.

"I'm buying for two," he said.

"I'll tell her that when she asks where her college fund went," Tracy said. She lifted a tulip to her nose, and inhaled the scent. "I'm teasing, they're beautiful."

"At this rate, I should just buy a flower shop. But then I'd send you all the flowers," Ted said.

"After you stopped everyone in the flower shop to tell them the story of how we met right down to every minute detail," Tracy said.

"We have to buy a flower shop now," Ted said. "Or two."

She laughed. "It's the only way you'll afford this grand gestures of romance habit of yours."

"We could name it Puzzles. No, wait, that's the hypothetical bar name. I suppose 'I have the most perfect wife in the world' won't work as a name?" Ted said.

"No, but it'll earn you this," she said, and leaned in to kiss him.

*

Ted paced. The clock wore down. His trusty fanny pack meant he'd been prepared. He'd even grabbed a duffel bag which Barney kept calling his _manpurse_ just to be extra ready. He had all the warm bottled water to spare, as well as a book of Neruda and a few granola bars. No vending machine food for him. He could hike through Mexico packed like this.

The doors burst open. Ted whirled around so fast that the duffel bag almost slipped down off him.

Barney and Robin looked like something out of a bond movie, with his pristine suit, and her long black sheath.

"The flights got canceled, so Barney flew a helicopter to reach here!" Robin bent over, gasping for breath. "Also, I ran in heels just to make it in time. I think we both know who did more to reach here."

"Damn," Ted said. He lifted his hand up for a high five. It turned into a hug, that Marshall and Lily and Robin all joined in on.

"What are you even doing, man? You need to be in there with her," Marshall said.

"It wouldn't feel right if my friends weren't here to see my daughter too," Ted said.

They filed in, until they filled the whole room. "They finally came," Ted said.

"Sometimes it feels like I married all of you too," Tracy said dryly. 

And to this, all they could do was nod, and laugh to old times.

By midnight, Barney and Robin were jetlagged and asleep on each other in the seats outside Tracy's hospital room, and Ted was officially a father. She was wrinkly, screaming and the second most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

"Hi there, Penny...." Ted said, his voice full of wonder. "Welcome to the world. I've got some people for you to meet," Ted said. 

He looked to Tracy for approval. She smiled tenderly. "Go on...but make sure you get hold her up like it's the Lion king at least once."

Just when Ted thought he couldn't love her more, she had to go and be so damn perfect. For once, words failed him. He squeezed her hand. Tomorrow, he'd tell her again how he fell a little more in love with her every day, how every hardship and broken heart was worth it for how damn happy he was now, how his only wish was that he'd met her sooner. 

But all he managed in that moment was _"Thanks"_ as he lifted his little girl up. He'd told his friends so many stories over the years, it was only right for them to get a glimpse of his happy ending.


End file.
